Night terrors? Ever stare at the dark ceiling at night and wonder if you are damned to hellfire? Doubts sometimes work on the mind like that, whether you are christian or atheist.

After several years of delving into the abrahamic religions and discerning their origins I can truly say my doubts have vanished. I do not suddenly become besieged with anxiety and wonder if there is a god, and that through my actions I am doomed to some horrible fate… after death. It is quite clear to me that millions of christians, muslims, and jews can be totally wrong. Not only that, but, that they are wrong.

How much evidence is enough? How much evidence will overcome the natural fear of death that people have? With so much evidence at hand that clearly reveals christianity and the other connected religions are simply fabrications created for the purpose of controlling people the only way people could believe is that they have a fierce desire, perhaps mental need, to do so. Even though their logic centers, which all people have, tells them how fictional their beliefs are, they dismiss it, they fear death, and need the crutch of faith to endure the thought of inevitable death. No one wants death. Something is more desirable than nothing. Though before a person is born there was nothing, when alive there is something, and it is fearful to think there will be nothing again.

The fear of death is a childish fear. Despite this fact most people would choose life, existence, rather than the oblivion death brings.

Before I was born did I care whether I existed? Stupid question, what, after all, was there around at the time to care? Will I care that I am gone when death ends my existence? Again, what will there be to care? The concept of nothing, I admit, is difficult to grasp. You cannot experience it. It is not like closing your eyes or even being inserted into a sensory deprivation device. There is nothing to know even that there is nothing to know.

I dearly wish that I could impart my certainty to everyone. I am sure though, that soon enough, those that seek will come to that point. That is what makes me comfortable with the label atheist, and uncomfortable with those who equivocate and use the label agnostic.

6 Responses to OMG, What if They’re Right? … December 23, 2013

Guilt and anxiety are not particularly useful emotions for discerning truth, in fact they cloud your judgement, which is why Christian denominations that rely on fear of hell for making converts tend to have a high turnover of members.
On the other hand the sense of ambiguity, “what if the other side is right after all” is just part of the human condition. You can still honestly call yourself an atheist or a believer and admit the possibility that you might be wrong. In fact, admitting that possibility is often a sign of honesty.

I know of no denominations that actually expect to garner members through the use of fear. Most dangle that most desired treasure: immortality. The fear was always there. The fear of death. The church did not need to manufacture a fear that already existed.
In my long journey to my present state of non-belief I have discovered that those that hold open the door of faith usually hold it open for that religion which their parents believed, or that is the major religion in town. I assert only that there is no possibility of being wrong about those religions about which we know. We know Odin is a work of fiction, we know that Zeus is a work of fiction, and I know, at least I know, Christianity is a work of fiction. So what is left? Pantheism? Deism? All are concepts peculiar only to humans and existing no where else.
P.S. Honestly

dpmonahan: “Guilt and anxiety are not particularly useful emotions for discerning truth, in fact they cloud your judgement, which is why Christian denominations that rely on fear of hell for making converts tend to have a high turnover of members.”

drenn1077: “I know of no denominations that actually expect to garner members through the use of fear.”

I have something to offer that is perhaps pertinent here. On two occasions I have found small booklets left at a local bank here in Grand Ledge, Michigan, a bank that I clean, which included a warning to readers that they will suffer in hell for eternity after death if they do not take advantage of the only way to avoid that fate, which is to take advantage of the salvation offered by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In the more recent of the two occasions, on the booklet was rubber stamped the name of a church, Bible Believers Church, 404 North Hudson, Lowell, Michigan 49331.

Perhaps there is no reliance upon such a message to make converts. Perhaps those distributing such booklets do not expect to garner members thereby. In any event, for what it is worth, I have evidence that a message based on fear of eternal damnation is being put out in this area.

Not necessarily. For some (dare I say many, especially those that are not “true/strong” Christians) the fear is not there. They do not think about it on a daily basis. They do, however, have consciences and have a basic understanding/belief that wrong deeds must be punished. For these people the threat of Hell, combined with the promise of eternal life, is a very potent one, and is often what draws them back into the religion. I think for many (especially those you find in the fire and brimstone churches) both of them go hand in hand. They must be rewarded for sticking to this message, and abandoning it must be met with punishment. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I would understand why you might say that “the fear is not there”. The religion of Christianity has built in safeguards. As long as no information is encountered that contradicts the “programming” the christian is free of fear. It is the moment that information is encountered that causes the individual to doubt, that the viral safeguards erupt and fear for one’s immortal soul initiates.